Grey Light, Dawn Chorus
by Muscarie
Summary: Modern AU Rey works as a gardener for her childhood heroes, Han Solo and Leia Organa. All is well, until their estranged, violent son decides to come home. Rey knows things are about to get...awkward. Last time she saw him, she broke a bottle on his face.
1. Chapter 1 - The Chorus at Dawn

**For the purpose of this story, Ben is older than Rey but not by 10 years - this is so it is chronologically possible for them to have interacted growing up. I imagine the difference to be more like 7 years.**

 **I do not own anything and I'm making no profit: this stands for the whole story.**

 **Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy :)**

It's Finn who tells Rey that Ben Solo has left the army and is coming home, to Alderaan House. Rey wonders when Han Solo and Leia Organa were going to tell her.

As she walks in the soft, blue light of dawn, her eyes cast down, a lone figure amongst the foxgloves and the mist, Rey's thoughts wander to the past few years, contemplating all the facts and anecdotes she's collected, and the picture that, put together, they create.

"He's coming out of juvie," Finn had told her one day. "That crazy guy who beat up Mr Dameron." They'd been kids at the time.

Rey wasn't an idiot, she'd noticed the agitation at school, she'd heard the feverish whispers between teachers and parents, she'd sensed the change in the air as she went around town. Something was happening, that was clear, but Rey knew nobody well enough to ask them what was going on. Ever since she'd moved to Takodana County, Finn had been the only one to insist on talking to her like they were friends, so eventually they had become friends for real. They'd met in kindergarten, back when Rey just joined school and everyone told her she stank, and no one wanted to sit near her because of the head lice. Her foster dad Unkar Plutt and herself had had to sit through numerous awkward meetings with the head teacher, the pastoral care lady and the school nurse, about the scraps of food Rey scavenged from the bins, about how she was never dressed appropriately for the weather, about how bad her attendance was, but mostly about the head lice. Eventually, Unkar had shaved her head and it had taken years for Rey to grow her hair back. She'd made sure she didn't catch head lice again.

Rey didn't know Ben Solo, but she certainly knew of him. He was the only son of local celebrities Han Solo and Leia Organa, and Rey knew of Han Solo and Leia Organa from the numerous National Geographic magazines she'd read all her life. One day, someone had brought a van to Unkar's scarp yard, with about five boxes full of the yellow magazines, all dating from the 70's and 80's. Rey had immediately claimed them. She'd spend hours flicking through the pages, staring at the pictures, and, later, reading about the amazing adventures depicted there. Leia Organa was the adopted daughter of a rich family from Takodana, who'd devoted her life to various altruistic causes, from the rainforest to the polar bears. Her partner Han Solo she had met whilst on a self assigned mission to Tatooine - he'd been a smuggler, and, against all odds, sparks had flown between them and they'd been together ever since. About their relationship, Leia had said: "it was unexpected, but it made sense. It felt...inevitable. Exhilarating. Han and I are different, but we're two sides of the same coin, know what I mean?". Rey liked to read that passage again and again, dreaming of such a love story for herself. Han looked so handsome. He was probably looking very aged, now, but Rey liked to dream of herself in Leia's 70's hairstyle, saving penguins whilst falling in love with someone as amazing as Han Solo.

Leia's twin brother Luke Skywalker (different name, he'd not been adopted and had kept their original family name) had always fought for the environment as well, camping in jungles and crossing crocodile infested rivers to reach remote locations and prove the existence of endangered peoples and species, thus preventing many ecological disasters caused by corporate greed. He had a black belt in Krav Maga, but preferred to practise yoga and meditation. Where Leia had been ready to pick up arms and fight poachers and tomb raiders, Luke was more of a pacifist, chaining himself to trees and offering flowers to soldiers.

Rey absolutely drooled on her magazines. How amazing the stories were, how fantastic it would be to discover herself a twin brother, to travel the world, fall in love and make a difference!

Sometimes, to fall asleep, Rey liked to imagine that Leia Organa and Han Solo were her biological parents, and they'd been forced to abandon her because pirates were closing in on them, and they missed her deeply, and one day she would find them and they would take her away from the scrap yard and they would live happily ever after, saving elephants together. Sometimes, she imagined a brother. He was cool, brave, and the two of them made a fantastic team.

"They still live in Takodana, you know," Unkar told her one day as he caught her staring at the National Geographic cover of July 1981, a portrait of Han and Leia. "That rich bitch owns Alderaan House."

After that revelation, Rey had secretly hoped to catch a glimpse of her heroes around the local town, D'Qar, without success. The only one she'd seen had been their son.

Alas, Ben Solo was nothing like the brother of her fantasies.

He was older than her, so they'd never been in the same class, and he was...violent. Everyone knew he had serious anger issues, and would snap easily. Didn't help that he was also very tall and strong.

When she was a kid, she'd seen him beat up Mr Dameron, the shopkeeper. Rey still shook with fear whenever she remembered hiding in a corner, by the drinks, covering her ears as she tried in vain to silence the wet thuds it made every time Ben Solo kicked and punched the shopkeeper, even after he'd stopped trying to escape, or cry out. When the police car arrived, Ben Solo had stopped and looked up, seeing her. They'd exchanged a look, his face splattered in blood that wasn't his, and her eyes overflowing with silent tears. He'd been a teenager at the time, and had disappeared to juvie after that. He'd spent two years there.

"He's completely crazy," Finn kept telling her.

"Hey Rey," said Unkar Plutt one night, "you wanna bet how long that Solo boy is going to last before he gets sent back to kiddie jail?"

Two weeks, it turned out. He'd hit a teacher and thrown a chair through a window. Word was, Leia Organa had paid the teacher so he wouldn't press charges, and Ben Solo had been sent to a boot camp.

She didn't hear much about him afterwards, until the day she saw him stab his dad.

Rey shivers in the cool, grey air of the receding night, unwittingly recalling the events leading up to that terrifying, traumatising moment.

Living with Unkar Plutt was nothing pleasant, but as a kid Rey had really loved the scrap yard - it was full of treasures. She could dream she was Leia Organa or Han Solo, discovering relics of civilisations past. And she loved mechanics, assembling and deassembling things. Rey wasn't particularly school smart, her poor attendance certainly not helping, but she was undeniably intelligent. She had a logical mind that knew how to solve puzzles, memorise the solutions and apply them in other situations. She had an excellent memory and picked things up really quickly. Once he realised just how smart she was, Unkar started putting her to work : she helped scavenge car parts and adapt them to other cars, she fixed radios, she did the accounts. She became so useful to him that Plutt made sure none of his guys bothered her, especially as she grew and started looking more like a woman than a kid. That was the only way in which he looked after her, and Rey knew it was down to the fact that he needed her to work - nothing to do with preserving her integrity. Rey knew that, but, truth be told, she rather enjoyed the freedom that came with living with someone who did not give a crap about you.

One day, an old classic 4x4, a Millenium Falcon, was brought to the scrap yard. Unkar negotiated for what felt like hours, until he bought the vehicle at a ridiculously low price. The other guy had clearly stolen it, otherwise he would never have agreed to such a pathetic offer. That was the thing with Plutt: he had no moral code.

"Use it for parts," he ordered Rey.

"Can I keep it?"

"What did I just say?"

"It's such an old car, the parts won't fit many other cars anyways. I could learn to drive with it."

"Wh-"

"If I could drive, I'd be able to help more, I could take parts to the garages."

"The boys do that."

"The boys don't know what they're selling. Not like I do. They never get what the parts are worth."

She'd caught his attention then, he was mulling it over.

"I just want to learn with it, I'll drive it on quiet roads. I'll take the registration plate off. I'll make sure it can't be traced," she pushed. "No one will know it's a stolen car."

Plutt's waxy cheek did a little wobble then, probably sensing the threat.

"Alright," he said, finally. "But if it impacts on your work, I'll have the boys take it from you."

And so, at 11 years old, Rey had found herself a ride.

True to her word, she replaced the registration plaque and scratched any serial number she found on anything. Then, she fixed the back left tyre and the headlights, topped up the oil level, replaced the battery, cleaned the inside of the Millenium Falcon. It took her a while to get it to move forward, she had to watch many videos on YouTube, but eventually she succeeded.

Rey was a tall girl, and she could reach the pedals if she stretched her long legs a bit.

She managed to drive the Falcon at snail's pace up to a field. It was winter, and a soft layer of snow covered the ground. Finn was already there, waiting for her. Rey honked, and laughed as she saw the wonder and awe on her friend's face.

"Oh my god!" He yelled. "Oh my god, Rey!"

They spent the afternoon teaching themselves to drive, and by the end of it Rey felt rather confident. So confident, that she stared experimenting with speed.

The old car picked up momentum and skidded over the snow, leaving black lines behind as it formed arabesques over arabesques, the two kids inside laughing their heads off. Rey kept turning and turning, gaining speed, then turning again, testing how sharp a bend she could take, until the car refused to turn as it caught some ice and gained more and more speed and kept going towards the end of the field and suddenly they were flying, above ground now, their laughter having turned to screams.

The car landed into a ditch by the side of the national road that ran behind the field.

"Finn?!"

"I'm ok!"

Rey turned to stare out of the back of the car, and saw that they'd jumped a good few metres. The kids fumbled with their seat belts. Once free, Rey found that she couldn't open her door, so she rolled the window down and climbed out.

"Hey! HEY!"

The kids looked up to see a greying man running towards them, his abandoned motorbike laying on the side of the road.

Rey nearly ran, but Finn was still stuck in the car, so she stayed.

"That's my car!" Yelled the man.

He was wearing a brown leather jacket that Rey immediately recognised, for having stared at it for many years.

"That's my car!" Han Solo shouted, looking at the wreckage.

"I fixed it!"

"You crashed it!" His voice was getting higher in pitch with each word.

"I'll fix it!"

"How old are you?!"

"You better not come any closer!" Shouted Finn, as menacing as a puppy. "My dad is in the police, I'll have you know I'm a big deal back at the station!"

"Shut it, Big Deal!"

In the morning light, now more pink than blue, Rey smiles at the memory. That was how she'd met her hero, Han Solo.

The aging adventurer had immediately taken a shine to her, charmed by her resourcefulness and optimism. She'd fixed the Falcon, again, and he'd done her a deal: he'd keep the Falcon, because that was his car, but Finn and her could come to Alderaan house and clean it for him every Sunday - at the time, it had sounded a fantastic deal.

Two years later, her and Finn were walking through the grass and forest on a hot summer afternoon, for their weekly date with the Falcon.

They emerged from the forest and found Mr Solo standing in the sunshine, newspaper in hand. Behind him, Alderaan House glowed gold in the sun. It was too hot to smell all the lovely plants that blossomed along the drive, but the view was still breathtaking.

Finn was about to wave at him when the two teens froze. Mr Solo wasn't alone. A tall, dark haired boy had appeared behind him. Ben.

"I thought he was at boot camp?" Mumbled Finn.

Father and son exchanged a few words. Han had his back now turned to them, and the kids could only see Ben's face - it was angry, hurt, wretched. Their voices rose, then something shone in Ben's hand. A knife!

There was a brief commotion, then Han abruptly went very still, as Ben looked stricken with horror. Han stepped back, one hand over his bleeding stomach, the other touching his son's face.

"No!" Screamed Rey. She made to run to Han Solo, but Finn caught her and pulled her away, into the forest, through the grass, along the road, across the field. Han Solo had survived, and he hadn't pressed charges, and Ben had returned to boot camp. Rey and Finn would not see him again for a while.

In the present day, Rey takes a deep breath, pausing to contemplate Alderaan House in the first sunshine of the morning. The next memory was the last she'd seen of Ben Solo, the last one before he'd joined the army, a few years ago. She'd been in her first year in high school. It was the last memory he'd have of her before he returned to his parents' home.

They were queuing at the C3P0 cafe, desperate for a milkshake. Poe Dameron was in the line too, just in front of them. Him and Finn had developed a friendship, which Rey tried not to get jealous over. She did not own Finn. Poe was a bit older than her and Finn, more like Ben Solo's age. He was so, so cool. Very laid back, great sense of humour, idealistic and brave. He reminded Rey of the Han Solo she'd read about in her magazines.

"Oh that's Poe!" Said Finn. "Hey, Poe!"

"Finn!"

Poe gave a dashing smile and pat Finn's back. "How you doing?" His eye caught sight of Rey, and she introduced herself, extremely conscious of how uncool she looked as opposed to other girls: Cheap, baggy, worn out clothes, trainers she had fixed herself, hair pulled tight, no makeup.

"Hi, I'm Rey."

"I know." Smiled Poe, and if he was disgusted by her looks he did not show it all. "Finn won't shut up about you. Nice to finally put a face to the name."

"Likewise," said Rey. "Finn told me you helped him with football."

"I did what I could for the poor soul," replied Poe, a hand over his heart. "By the way, love your accent. Bet you could make anything sound classy."

Rey had not known what to say to that, so she'd smiled back like a fool.

"So what are you going to do, now you've finished high school, Poe?" Asked Finn.

"Don't know, think I wanna go and see the world, you know? Travel. Maybe do some good, you know, like leave with a humanitarian mission. Have myself a bit of a gap year, then come back and go to Coruscant University."

Rey nodded and smiled like it did not sound like absolute science fiction to her, and Finn was so enthralled in Poe's words that he was forgetting to blink. They were awe struck.

Shortly after, the three of them were sitting together at a table, drinking their milkshakes (Poe's treat), chatting happily. Poe insisted on hearing Rey tell him all about the Falcon and how she'd taught herself to drive, watching her with a soft smile and admiration shining in his eye, making her feel interesting and important.

Poe was delighting them with his own stories too, including one about crashing his dad's car, when he stopped abruptly as he saw Ben Solo enter the cafe. His smile fell, replaced by a look of pure hatred.

"That asshole," he said, not bothering to whisper. "The fucking nerve."

The Damerons had not forgotten, Poe hating Ben with all his might for what he had done to his dad. Ben Solo was wearing a black sweater, the hood up, covering half his face. He stood at the till and looked up at the menu above.

"Thought he was at boot camp?" Whispered Rey.

"Oh no, he's too old now." Said Finn. "I heard he's joining the army."

"Yeah, to be honest I'm surprised the army would want to have him. Surely he'll get done for punching an officer or something. Bet he'll have some fun burning down villages." Poe said, loud enough for Ben to hear.

Ben Solo stilled, but did not look around. The whole room went very quiet.

"What are you doing?" Hissed Finn.

"Watch out, everyone, Psycho Ben is here." Poe pretended to whisper, "Oh but don't worry, he won't see us if we stay very still. You'd think he'd do us all a favour and go home, paint his nails black and listen to some Linkin Park."

"What did you just say to me?"

In a few big strides, Ben Solo had walked over to them, his pale face twitching and reddening, his whole body shaking with barely contained rage. Rey gulped. He really was very tall, and big.

"I wasn't talking to you, bro," easily replied Poe, smirking.

"You were talking about me."

"Yeah, to my friends. It's a free country. I'm allowed."

"Shut the fuck up."

Rey glanced down and saw that Ben Solo 's fists were tight.

Poe just smiled.

"I can say whatever I want. You can't do anything about it. Deal with it... Psycho Ben."

Ben Solo's hand flew forward and grabbed Poe by the throat. Poe wasn't small himself, but Ben Solo picked him up and threw him into the room as if he weighed nothing. Poe recovered quickly and stood to fight, but Ben just jumped forward and hit him in the face repeatedly. By that point, people were screaming.

Ben was a fully grown man, a very tall man, very strong, and years of learning Krav Maga (this, an attempt at helping him learn ways to master his anger issues) mixed with his natural physique and his violent outbursts had created a monster. Everyone knew not to pick a fight with Ben Solo, and, if Poe was smart, he'd act dead. Ben Solo would walk away, then sod off to the army, and all would be well.

But then, Finn joined in.

He ran to the fight and pulled Ben Solo off of Poe, only to get punched in the face himself. Finn fought back for much longer than Rey would have expected, but was eventually thrown to the floor, where he remained. Ben Solo advanced towards Finn, and Rey finally decided to spring into action. The cops shouldn't be far, anyway.

She picked up a stool and threw it at Ben Solo with all her strenght. It hit him in the shoulder and had him stumbling over. Astonished, he looked at her.

"Get out of here!" She shouted. Ben Solo did not move, just stared at her. "Leave, you monster!"

Rey picked another stool and threw it again, then she went for glasses and cups. Ben Solo dodged and caught everything she threw at him, advancing calmly towards her, like a villain in a film.

When he was close enough, Rey started punching his chest as hard as she could. It did nothing. Now, Rey was skinny, but she was all muscles, and she'd been in many fights before. Had she had her baseball bat, that tall asshole would not have stood a chance.

"Harder!" He encouraged her.

Was he mocking her?

Enraged, Rey hit him as hard as she could, a right hook to the face, which he took without much damage. She was about to strike again when he caught both of her arms and crossed them in front of her body, pushing her to the wall and pinning her there, in a straight jacket made of her own arms.

"I'm bigger than you," he told her, way too close for comfort. "You can't fight me like you'd fight someone your own size. You need technique. I can show you."

He was so close, staring into your eyes. His were a dark brown, matching his dark hair, now free from the dark hood. A large nose, full lips. Pale skin, a few moles.

Technique! Rey suddenly thought. Of course!

She kicked his groin as hard as she could, and, as his hold on her consequently weakened, she elbowed him in the nose then hit his throat with her knuckles. She kicked his shin, thus bringing one of his knees to the floor, then grabbed a bottle off the table next to them and crashed it over his face.

Then the police stormed in and she was pulled away.

And that was the last she'd seen of him. He hadn't pressed charges.

Ben Solo had joined the army. Finn had applied to become a firefighter, and was now training. Poe had gone travelling, and had yet to return. Rey still lived at the scrap yard, but she now worked at Alderaan House. She'd got the job straight after high school. Han Solo and Leia Organa had hired her as a gardener, grounds keeper, cooker fixer, pretty much handy man of the house. The original advert had requested a gardener, and Rey, despite having no experience in looking after plants, had applied. During her interview, she'd said that she was a fast learner, that she liked plants and being outside. She did not tell them she liked them, too. Han Solo had pointed out to Leia Organa that Rey was the little girl who'd taught herself to drive and who could fix any engine, and Leia had asked her only one question.

"Are you the young lady who bested my son in a fight?"

Rey had nodded, certain this meant she was going home. But Ms Organa had smiled.

"You're hired."

Rey circles the big house, quietly admiring the huge, purple rhododendron growing against the west side of the house. She arrives at the back door and takes off her shoes - a pair of trainers she's sown back together at least three times.

She enters the pantry and sets on the old wooden table the rhubarb stalks she's picked up. She walks through to the kitchen, and finds Ms Organa standing in her thick, silky gown in front of the cafetière, cup in hand.

"Good morning, Ms Organa."

"Oh, mornin', sunshine." Ms Organa looks up at the clock above the door. "You're here early! Have you walked? You know Chewie has offered to pick you up - he's always up at crack o'dawn too."

Chewie, or Chewbacca, is Han Solo's friend. He is huge, bearded, and refuses to speak any other language than his native Quechua. He'd been living at Alderaan House on and off, acting as the family cook when he was around - of his own insistence.

"I like the walk. Especially at this time of year." Replies Rey, discreetly admiring her boss. She wishes that when she reaches her fifties she'll have at least half as much class as Ms Organa, standing there in her pyjamas, salt and pepper hair tousled, thick slippers on her feet, glasses on the tip of her nose, struggling to work a cafetière she's bought herself. "Would you like me to prepare coffee?"

"Thank you, honey, I can never work this darn thing."

Rey walks over and starts preparing Ms Organa's morning fuel, and the older woman sits at the large tiled table, stifling a yawn.

"You're up early," fishes Rey, hoping she's managed to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah." Groans Ms Organa, rubbing a hand over her face. "Couldn't sleep."

When the lady doesn't extend, Rey opts for a more direct approach. Pouring Ms Organa a cup of coffee, she asks:

"Is it because your son is coming home?"

Leia pauses for a short second, steaming cup in the air.

"...yeah. Who told you?" Ms Organa gestures for Rey to come sit with her.

"It wasn't Mr Solo." Rey pours herself a cup, and goes to sit opposite Leia. "My friend Finn told me. I don't know how he found out."

Finn's mum always knew everything.

"Yeah, he's coming home." Leia gave a soft, tired smile. "Haven't seen my son in years."

"How old is he now?" Asks Rey, although she knows the answer.

"27. Hopefully he'll have gained some wisdom, in the army." She snorts. "The army. You know he joined just to annoy me, right? And his dad. And his uncle."

Rey smiles sympathetically. She drinks her coffee black, just like Ms Organa.

"Han hasn't slept either. He's spent the night in his garage."

"I'm nervous too." Confesses Rey.

"You are? Why?"

"Last time I saw him, I broke a bottle over his face."

Ms Organa chuckles, shaking her head.

"You did him a favour, think he would have killed the Dameron boy otherwise."

"Still, I bet he's still angry."

She'd scarred his face, someone said.

"Ben's never been angry at you. I don't think he can."

It is a somewhat enigmatic statement, but Rey doesn't press. She desperately wants to ask why, why are they welcoming that monster back into their house, why did they forgive all the violence, all the ungratefullness? He stabbed Han, for heaven' sake!

Rey really wants to question Ms Organa, but something in the woman's grave air, her tired eyes, stops her. Instead, she asks:

"Is he arriving this afternoon?"

"He hasn't said. Could be this morning."

Fear grips at Rey's heart and she pushes it down.

"I'll make sure the gardens are spotless."

"I know you will, honey."

The two women finish their coffee in an easy silence, broken only by the cheerful chirping of birds, the dawn chorus.

Rey chooses not to feel afraid anymore. She'll face this like she's faced every challenge life has thrown at her - head high, chin up, shoulders squared.

Besides, her baseball bat is never far.


	2. Chapter 2 : Temptation over Pride

**Thanks to the lovely people who have followed/favourited, and thanks for the lovely reviews :) this story won't be a hundred chapters long, at the moment I have about 6 to 10 chapters planned. Please be aware that there will be mentions of upsetting themes - in this chapter, there is a brief scene of sexual harassment. I will try and warn you when other things come up. I tend to binge write and binge publish whilst inspiration strikes, so be prepared for a sea of new chapters with the occasional couple of weeks with nothing! I know it's annoying, sorry, I'm working on it :)**

 **Reylo is the ship of dreams.**

 **Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy :)**

Rey hides most of the day, working in the greenhouse, mowing the back lawn, until it is mid afternoon and she has no other choice than to come and tend to the flower beds and bushes along the walls of the house.

Rey sees that Leia is standing in the dining room window, staring out, waiting. Han is washing the Falcon.

Rey and him exchange a little smile, then she turns to her flower beds.

Maybe he's not coming, she thinks, and at that exact moment she hears footsteps on the gravel leading up to the front porch.

"Ben!" Cries Ms Organa, rushing out of the door.

Mr Solo just stands there, staring at his son. Leia comes crashing into her son, holding him to her. Ben Solo does not even return his mother's embrace, instead sending his dad an unblinking glare.

Rey shakes her head. Gosh, he's already annoying.

She takes a moment to observe him. He's dressed in black jeans, and a black top with the sleeves rolled up. He's carrying a huge army bag on one shoulder. He's even taller than she remembered, and his arms look even wider. There is a long, thin scar that runs from his eye, down his cheek and into his neck a little. Ah. So she did leave a scar.

He catches her looking at him, and his eyes widen slightly.

"What is she doing here?" He asks his mother.

"That's Rey, she works here now."

"I know who she is. What do you mean, she works here?"

"She does the gardens, and... Well, she pretty much keeps the place running."

"I do that, too." Pipes Han Solo.

"Yes, but when your father doesn't know how to fix something, Rey comes in."

Ben Solo says nothing, instead staring at her. Rey shifts from foot to foot, refusing to look away first. She's sweaty. Her hair is pulled into two tight buns at the back of her head, because it's too short to stay back if she only does one bun, and it's too hot to let the bottom half of her hair down. She knows it looks dorky. There's dirt all over her trousers and her top. Her nails are brown.

She's not intimidated. Not by him.

"She's been a wonder." Adds Leia, insistent.

"Does she live here?"

"No-"

"No, I don't." Rey will be damned if she lets him talk about her like she isn't even there. "I come over from Jakku every day."

"The scrap yard."

"Yes."

"That seems a stupidly long distance to walk every day."

Is he calling her stupid?

"It's fine." Says Rey through gritted teeth.

"We've been offering her the cottage, but she turns us down." Leia is trying very hard to break the tension.

"It isn't a cottage if it is still attached to the house, mother."

"You know what I mean."

They stare at each other until Leia starts pulling Ben inside, thus forcing him to break eye contact. Rey releases a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

Leia and Ben disappear inside the house. Han Solo wipes his hands and makes to follow them, shaking his head in Rey's direction. She smiles.

They do not emerge back from the house, so Rey stays for about another two hours then calls it a day. She picks up her jacket, an old denim thing she's had since she was 11, and walks home.

"I think you should change job," says Finn.

They're sitting at the local cafe again, outside, because it's a lovely Spring day, one of those days when you can really tell summer is on the way. Rey likes early to mid Spring best, when all is green and fresh, and it feels like you can finally take a breath after the long winter.

"But I really like it."

"I wouldn't wanna be within reach of Psycho Ben, especially not if the last time I saw him I scarred his face for life."

Rey winces. She doesn't like that people call him Psycho Ben - it's too similar to the nasty nicknames kids used to call her at school, until she was strong enough to kick their asses for it.

"Yeah, well, at least he knows not to mess with me."

"I bet he's still mad at you."

"Ms Organa says he isn't."

"Ms Organa welcomed him back into her house, after he stabbed her husband, his own dad. I wouldn't trust Ms Organa's judgement, Rey."

"They're not married."

"They are. She kept her own name." Finn shakes his head, annoyed at the diversion. "Point is, you should change job, you shouldn't go back there. It's not safe." He pushes his plate towards her. "Here, have some of this apple pie, I can't finish it."

"Sure you can!"

"No, no, I tell you, I'm full."

"I have a salary now, you know. I can afford apple pie."

"I know. Just, it'd be a shame to let this apple pie go to waste, don't you think?"

Rey looks away. Ever since they were kids, Finn has always pretended not to be able to finish his food, in an effort to feed Rey. Everyone knew she had no money. Everyone had seen her picking from bins. Everyone thought it was a disgrace to let a foster kid in such a hellish home. No one ever did anything. Rey takes the apple pie, eats without looking at Finn. She is almost as embarrassed as she is touched.

"I just like the place too much," she tells Finn. "I love looking after the gardens. Fixing things, all that."

"You could go to uni."

"I just like the place too much." She repeats, pushing the empty plate back towards him. "Delicious. What should we do after this?"

"I was gonna do a run or something, I failed the last stamina test."

Finn is training to be a firefighter, and devotes most of his spare time to exercise.

"Ill come with you," offers Rey.

She's got the weekend off, as usual, which means that she must find an excuse not to go home.

They go on a run, then go back to Finn's mum's house to play some mario kart. The lady feeds Rey as much as she can, and when time comes to go home, Rey makes her way slowly towards the scarp yard.

"' I'm just going to meet Finn for a quick coffee,'" nags Unkar when she enters their shack-like house. "Took you long enough. What were you doing? Taking charity?"

"His mum invited me for tea."

"It's called dinner, you Brit." He farts, then carries on talking to cover up. "Anyway tomorrow you're not going anywhere, I need your help with the finances. And you can help Jora with the van."

"Jora?" Rey pauses as she was about to walk past him.

"Yeah."

"Why him?"

Jora was one of Unkar's boys. In the past, Rey had got into a couple of fights with him over his attitude towards her. It had gone from bullying her as a child to groping her as a young woman.

"Don't worry, I told him. He knows you're my best girl, and no one touches my best girl."

He's meant for this to be reassuring, but Rey barely holds back a look of disgust. She locks herself into her room.

The next day, Jora is as insufferable as ever. He leers at her, asks her private questions, winds her up as much as humanly possible.

"So I heard you spend a lot of time with the black boy, little Rey?"

"His name is Finn."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

She ignores him.

"Little Rey!" He whistles. "Not so little anymore! So I take it you like big black dicks, then?"

He's being crude and offensive because he knows that's exactly the opposite of what she's like. Rey focuses on the battery she's trying to fit into the van they're fixing. Too tight, she might have to sacrifice the radio.

"I'm not criticising, it's just an observation. Nothing wrong with a bit of dick. I've always thought you could do with a good f-"

"'Nothing wrong with a bit of dick', is that the working title of your autobiography?" Rey snaps.

"Watch your mouth!"

Rey smiles. Jora is so predictable, all you need to do to wind him up is make any kind of allusion to him being gay. If only she could get him to snap! Unkar said he'd fire Jora if he hurt her.

"Or what?"

Jora knows she's trying to provoke him. He does know. He's just not that smart.

"You play all hard to get," he starts, walking towards her. "You think you're so much better than us."

"I am better."

Rey turns away from him and goes to check the notebook, to see what else there was to do on the van. She knows she shouldn't turn her back on Jora. She also knows she's now visible from Unkar's office window. He'll be at his desk, he'll see the rest, whatever happens next. Jora follows her and comes up right behind her, pressing against her back, trapping her against the table.

"When you're tired of your boyfriend," he says in her ear, "come find a real man."

Rey reaches behind her and grabs his groin, squeezing as hard as she can.

"If I see one I'll let you know!"

She lets go, and Jora stumbles backwards, holding on to his groin.

"You... You little...!" He makes to slap her and she dodges, punching him in the nose. He gets up and starts moving towards her, and Unkar finally emerges from his office.

"That's enough!"

"He touched me!" Rey accuses, pointing a triumphant finger at Jora. "You saw him, didn't you?"

"I saw you hit him," says Unkar. "He was only teasing you, grow up, sweetheart."

"But...!"

"You started this, Rey. Grow up!"

"You said...!"

"So what, if he touched you? What are you gonna do about it? You're free to go, missy, I ain't holding you back! You got anywhere to go? You got anyone who'd want to take you in? Even your parents didn't want you, I'm here, I'm letting you stay with me, I feed you, I offer you work and shelter, and you just go around hitting my employees? Is that how you repay me?"

Rey doesn't say anything, half scared she might cry of rage.

Jora stalks away, rubbing his cheek, a malicious glint in his eye. Rey kicks the desk in frustration.

The following morning, Rey gets up before dawn and starts making her way to Alderaan House. She's still fuming. The walk takes the anger out of her.

Unfortunately, the cool air of dawn does nothing for her feelings of desperation, and when Rey reaches Alderaan grounds she mostly feels sadness.

It's still quite dark, everyone will still be askeep, and Rey heads to the greenhouse first. She waters the tomato plants there, checks on the basil. She wonders how the first night went for the reunited Solo-Organa family. A part of her mind whispers that maybe Ben has murdered his parents, and maybe she'll find the bodies, this afternoon, when she finally enters the house to look for them, and suddenly the door will shut behind her and Ben Solo will be-

"You are extremely early. It's not even dawn yet."

Rey jumps so hard she knocks a watering can over. She turns to face Ben Solo, a hand over her beating heart.

He's standing there just outside the greenhouse, tall, dark, sinister. He's staring at her. Does he ever blink?

"It is dawn." She argues, as if dawn would be a suitable time to come to work anyway. "You're up early."

"We got up early in the army."

Rey nods. He's still blocking her exit, and she starts getting a bit nervous - her previous thoughts of murder and bloodied corpses laying on the floor of Alderaan House still fresh in her mind. Maybe she ought to address the elephant in the room.

"Look, I'm sorry about your... Face. I didn't think it would leave a scar. I just... Thought I better fight back."

He frowns.

"I wasn't about to hurt you."

"Yeah, well, could have fooled me!" She forces a smile. "The bottle was too much, though. I went too far. I'm sorry."

He says nothing, looking somewhat confused, so she picks up the empty watering can and makes her way outside. She doesn't know much about gardening, but she's learning, and she's learnt that it's better for greenhouse plants if the water you use on them is the same temperature as their surroundings. When she walks past him, she notices that the top of her head comes under his chin, and Rey isn't short. She starts walking towards the back of the house, where the outdoor tap is, hearing him following close behind.

"Why do you come so early?" He asks.

"I just like the fresh air."

"Did something happen this weekend?"

She nearly trips, and glances over her shoulder at him. His eyes are on her, knowing. Does he read her mind? Is she this obvious?

"It's fine." She stammers.

It's not a no, and he picks up on it.

"Is it Unkar Plutt? Has he done something to you?"

"No! I wouldn't let him, anyway! Unkar's a dick but he's fine."

"One of his employees, then?"

"Just let it go. I like the fresh air."

"You look tired."

"Yes well you're not too hot yourself!" She snaps, picking up her pace.

She reaches the tap and angrily starts filling the watering can. Once it is full, she stands and starts walking back.

"Let me get that." He reaches for the can. She yanks it back.

"I got it."

Rey knows she is walking a bit too aggressively, and water keeps tipping out of the can. One little look at him tells her he is frowning, eyes cast down. She feels a bit guilty for snapping at him. Not to mention, she did break a bottle over his face. Stopping, she turns to face him, meeting his eyes.

"Look," she sighs, "I'm fine. It's just not a nice place, and the guys are dickheads, so yeah, I like to get away. But it's not that bad, and it's nothing I can't handle. Alright?" She tries to give him a cheerful smile. "Enough about this. What's it like being home?"

"Why aren't you moving here?"

Her smile falls.

"Pardon?"

"You're old enough to leave that place. You spend your days here. My parents are offering you the cottage. Why aren't you moving here?"

Damn. She doesn't want to answer that question. What would he say if she told him that she remembers her parents' car driving away, leaving her at the gas station just outside of town? That they'd said to stay there, they'd be back? If they came back looking for her, they'd start searching at the children's services, would they be able to be able to trace her if she moved from her foster home? She doesn't want to say all that aloud, because it's private, it's painful, and it's ridiculous.

"I don't want charity."

"They'd deduce the rent from your salary, if that was true."

"What do you mean, 'if'?"

"Are you scared to tell him?"

"Who?"

"Unkar Plutt. Are you scared to tell him you're moving out?"

Rey is stunned into silence. Yes, there is that, as well. Damn. This is the most she's spoken to Ben Solo since forever, and he's reading her like an open book.

"That's what it is, isn't it?" He insists, searching her eyes. His now have a wild light to them. "You're too scared to tell him."

"...maybe."

Rey sets off again, unable to hold his burning gaze any longer. Why can't he just leave it alone?

"I could come with you." He calls after her. "To tell him, and get your stuff."

Why would he do that? She nearly asks him, but she's not sure she wants to know why. She is hit with a brief memory of being at the cafeteria at school, feeling a shudder along her neck and looking round to see him staring at her from across the room. No, she'd rather not know why he's helping her. Besides, he's giving her an opportunity to leave...does she really want to be questioning it? The image of a nervous Unkar Plutt cowering in the corner as Ben Solo gives him a death stare is undeniably a happy one. She is tempted, and he can sense it.

"I could even go for you, today. You'd never have to set foot in that place again."

Temptation takes over pride. Rey puts the watering can down in the greenhouse, ready for the next day. Outside, the birds have started chirping, and the sky is turning a gold pink. She watches it a moment, caught up in its beauty. When she turns to him, Ben Solo is watching her. She winks at him.

"Are you sure this isn't a scheme to get me to move here so you can murder me and bury me in the wall?"

He blinks.

"What?"

"Never mind." Her smile falters a bit, she looks at her shoes. "You..you'd be able to do it today?"

"Anytime."

"And your parents would deduce the rent from my pay?"

"If that's what you want."

"...ok. But I'll come with you. This afternoon. The guys will be out, he'll be alone. Are you sure you don't mind? Are you sure your parents want me to move here?"

"Think they'd rather have you than me," he says bitterly. "I'm sure. This afternoon it is."

He stalks away, not giving her the chance to change her mind; his tall, dark figure like something out of a gothic novel.

And so, later that day, Rey stands nervously at the front door of Alderaan House - she's not done any work, too engrossed in her own mixture of exhilaration and downright panic. Ben and Han Solo emerge from inside, followed by Chewbacca, and Han Solo gestures for Rey to get in the Falcon. Rey lets out an incredulous laugh.

"All three of you? He's not that mean and scary, you know."

"We're here for this one, mean and scary." Mr Solo says, pointing at his son. "Don't want things to escalate."

"Not that Han knows how not to escalate things," Leia cuts in, walking out onto the front porch. "You'll have dinner with us tonight." She tells Rey.

On the way to Jakku, Rey feels her heart constrict with fear. Chewbacca is sitting in the back with her and he gives her a little nudge and a smile. Then he says something in Norwegian.

"He says 'don't worry, kid'," translates Han Solo. "And he's right, you shouldn't worry. This will be over quickly."

Rey has to admit, the look on Unkar Plutt's face when she arrives surrounded by three men, including the giant Chewbacca and local terror Ben Solo, is well worth the anxiety she's felt all day at the idea of facing him. It's also worth asking Ben Solo for help, and appearing weak in front of Mr Solo.

Han Solo does most of the talking, and whenever Unkar looks like he's about to try and speak to Rey directly Chewbacca happens to stand between them, looking very much like a bouncer. A great, big, mean, hairy, muscly, Viking bouncer.

Ben follows Rey to her bedroom, to her great embarrassment, and watches her pack her things.

There isn't much - two pairs of trousers, a pair of shorts, six tops, two sweaters, sandals, her trainers, her toothbrush, hairbrush, underwear, all easily stuffed into a torn backpack she's had since middle school. She grabs her denim jacket, then reaches under the bed to pull out her baseball bat, which Ben eyes with curiosity.

"Could you take these?" She asks Ben, handing him her box of National Geographic magazines.

They walk out, and, when her things are in the boot and she is about to go, Unkar suddenly grows a pair.

"Rey, wait, sweetheart, what are you doing?"

Rey ignores him and goes to pick up her potted plant from the kitchen, heading back to the car straight afterwards.

"Rey. Rey!" He follows after her. "You better get back here, girl! You ungrateful-"

Unkar reaches for her arm, when he is seized by the throat and pushed, or rather, thrown, roughly to his arse. Blinking, Unkar holds onto his bruised throat, looking up in fear at Ben Solo.

"I'm moving out," says Rey, her voice shaky. Mr Solo and Chewbacca look ready to jump in any second to restrain Ben. "I work somewhere else now and they need me to stay there."

"What are your parents going to think if they come find you here, and you've gone? Huh? I certainly won't be telling them where you went."

Rey stills, a hand on the door of the car.

"We'll be fine without your help," says Mr Solo. "Come on, Rey. Dinner will be ready."

Rey gets into the car, and, as it drives away, she turns to look out the back to Unkar Plutt, and the scrap yard, her childhood, her loneliness, until it all disappears from view and the only thing left to do is to look forward.

She sees Ben Solo, in the passenger seat, flexing his hand.

She takes a deep breath.

She's free.


	3. Chapter 3 : The Rude Gentleman

**Thank you for reading :) in this chapter, we have a lovely, relaxing family dinner...until Leia mentions the L-word.**

"What's the baseball bat for?"

Rey briefly considers telling Mr Solo that she plays baseball, but her mind helpfully provides her with the embarrassing picture of a potential game of baseball they'd have her play, and how obvious her lie would appear then. She also ponders telling him it's sentimental, but Rey isn't a good liar, and she cannot think of a plausible explanation as to why she'd be so attached to an aluminium stick. Besides, she always had to fib around Unkar Plutt, and she does want to make a fresh start in life. So, Rey tells the truth.

"It's for self defence."

"Seriously?"

Han Solo is holding the bat, looking at her, quizzical brow in check. Ben Solo has just set her box of magazines on the floor by the door of the 'cottage', a small part of the house with its own entrance, next to the back door which gives onto the kitchen. There are three rooms inside: a bedroom, a tiny kitchen and a bathroom. It's small, but it's way more space than Rey has ever had to herself. She's grinning and she knows it.

Chewbacca says something, then whistles appraisingly.

"He wants a demo." clarifies Mr Solo.

Rey reluctantly takes the bat, trying to resist the urge to outright gloat as she is handed the perfect opportunity to show off.

She swings it confidently in the air around her, expertly shifting it in her hand and hitting an imaginary target at various pressure points. When she is done, Mr Solo claps his hands.

"Well, well, well! Looks like we've got ourselves a security guard, too! You better watch yourself, son!"

Rey smiles sheepishly, feeling Ben's eyes on her and refusing to give in to the temptation of gauging his reaction.

"Ah, Rey, honey! Nice to see you settling in. It's much better this way." Says Ms Organa as she walks over to them. "What's the baseball bat for?"

"It's for self defence," says Han, and Leia whistles appraisingly. "We've already had a demo, sweetheart, sorry."

"Well, between our guns, Chewbacca' size, Ben's temper and Rey's bat, I doubt anyone will ever dare robbing us!" Jokes Leia. "I like it when a woman can hold her own. No one would expect it from a girl with Rey's charm."

"Have you ever had to use it?" Interrupts a deep voice. "The bat, I mean."

Rey looks at Ben. "On occasion."

She holds his serious, unblinking gaze for as long as she can, feeling somewhat breathless when it stops.

"You're eating with us tonight," says Leia, and it's more of an order than an invitation. "Dinner will be ready at 7:30. Don't be late."

And she isn't.

Rey shows up st 7:29 at the front door, back straight and shoulders squared, feeling slightly emotional at the prospect of her first real family dinner. Granted, it's not her family, and it is a highly dysfunctional family, but still. There's parents and kids. Adult kids.

She rings the bell, and hears a great commotion inside before the door opens and Mr Solo appears.

"Rey," he chuckles. "There was no need to walk all the way around the house, we were expecting you at the back door. Come in."

Inside, she is told to not bother taking her shoes off. To her great relief, they are eating in the kitchen, not the dining room. She's been in the dining room once, when she interviewed for the job, and it's an intimidating space. The kitchen, she knows.

Ms Organa is standing by the cooker, peering down at a large pot. Chewbacca is sharpening a knife rather absentmindedly. Ben Solo is sitting at the table, looking serious as always, and stands abruptly at her arrival, nearly knocking his stool over.

"This isn't 1897, son," chastisises Mr Solo.

"But good effort!" Chipes in Leia somewhat patronisingly.

"Smells delicious," praises Rey, looking to change topic as she can see Ben Solo looking thunderous. "What have you made, Ms Organa?"

"Oh no, Rey, please, call me Leia. Ms Organa is good enough for my enemies, may they rot in hell. And...I haven't made anything."

"Chewie cooked," says Mr Solo.

"I did peel a potato," says Leia.

"Chewie didn't use that potato. Take a seat, Rey."

He's gesturing at the stool next to Ben's, but Rey elects to sit opposite him. It's really weird, she reflects, to see the terrible Ben Solo, sitting on a stool as his parents tease him. She cannot wait to see Finn's face when she tells him about this.

Soon, dinner is ready, and as soon as her plate is served, Rey attacks it, eating as fast as humanly possible. Chewbacca says something before letting out a guffaw, and everyone looks a little bit awkward. Mr Solo gives Chewbacca a meaningful look.

"What is it?" Asks Rey.

"Nothing."

"He said: 'don't worry, no one's going to take that plate from you'," translates Ben.

Ah. Rey sets her spoon down, picks it back up. So that's it. They're all thinking about the poor little foster kid, picking out of trash cans at school. Skinny little Rey, eating the stale bread people would throw ducks at the park. Rey can feel her cheeks burn.

"...sorry."

"Nonsense, honey," says Leia. "It's nice that you enjoy your food." She shakes her head. "That Unkar Plutt." She spits the name out. "How someone like that can find himself in charge of a child, I have no idea. Something is very wrong with this world."

Chewbacca pipes up again, and Leia shoots him down with a definite:

"Yes, the whole world, Chewie. Everywhere, all the time, men bully little girls."

Rey doesn't dare look up from her plate, until Han Solo tries lightening the mood.

"Well, you should have seen the look on that blobfish's face, when Rey showed up with all three of us!"

He imitates the look, and Rey laughs.

"That's true, he does look like a blobfish!" She says. "Thank you for doing that. Thank you for letting me stay here."

"It's much more convenient this way," replies Leia, waving off Rey's thanks. "Now that Ben's here, we're definitely going to be needing you to fix a lot of stuff around the house. I am just teasing, honey," she immediately reassures Ben, whose eyes are throwing daggers. "I must say, though, Ben, you've been very efficient. Hasn't he, Han?"

"Absolutely." Says Mr Solo. "You've been here a day and a night, and you've already succeeded where we all failed: you got Rey out of that hellhole." He raises his glass. "To home!"

"To home!"

About an hour and a half later, Leia serves dessert, peaches in syrup with a side of Greek yogurt. Rey is feeling great, enjoying the food and the stories Han and Leia are kind enough to share with her. Ben Solo doesn't say much, just the occasional snarky comment towards his parents, but it seems to be done more out of habit than resentment, and Rey finds herself relaxing a little bit in his company.

"Ben's thinking of going to college this September, aren't you, Ben?" Says Leia.

"I am not just thinking about it. I will be joining college in September."

"Coruscant?" Asks Rey.

Ben throws her a surprised look, and Rey realises this is the first time she's spoken to him all night.

"Yes."

"What are you going to study?" She braves on, determined to prove that she is a sociable person.

"English literature."

"Really?!"

He blinks at her blatant disbelief, the shadow of an amused smile tugging at his lips.

"It's not that surprising," says Leia. "Ben has always loved reading. Very young, he used to read the classics, didn't he, Han? What's that one with the Kate Bush song?"

"You should go, too," Ben interrupts, staring at Rey. It's weird, how whenever they lock eyes, she struggles to look away.

"University?"

"Yes."

"Oh no," she smiles, breaks eye contact. "I'm happy here, I wouldn't want to move to Coruscant. Besides, I wouldn't know what to study."

He replies immediately.

"Engineering. Why don't you want to move away?" He presses, unforgiving. "Is it because of what Plutt said, about your parents?"

Rey gulps. She gets caught in his eyes again.

"You do know they're not coming back for you, right?" He's staring at her, not blinking once. "You must know that. They were filthy white trash, who got rid of you so they could finance their addiction. They were nobodies. They're probably dead in some drug den, somewhere."

Rey glares at him. Yes, she does know. That doesn't make his words any less offensive, though. Slowly, the glare lessens and she feels her eyes fill with tears.

"My God, Ben!" exclaims Mr Solo.

"You've just managed to get her to move here," says Leia. "We don't want her to move away just yet! And for goodness sake, quit trying to upset my guest!"

Rey blinks back tears, hating that he can probably tell how much he's got to her. His eye twitches imperceptibly at the sight of her reddening eyes, and he opens his mouth as if to say something, then closes it again and looks down at his dessert.

"I.." He starts.

"It's fine." Rey says, her voice trembling slightly. "He's right, they were nobodies. And they're not coming back." She forces a smile out. "This was absolutely delicious, thank you so much."

"Leia, sweetheart," says Mr Solo. "Anything you wanna tell us, some good news, perhaps?"

"Well, Rey, my brother will be visiting us soon."

Ben's head snaps back up.

"What?"

"That's the exact opposite of what I had in mind," comments Han Solo, tone dry.

"Luke?" demands Ben.

"My brother Luke, yes. Your uncle."

"He's coming here?"

"He is visiting, yes."

Chewbacca says something.

"Probably for a couple of weeks, maybe more," replies Leia.

"No." Ben's voice has dropped even deeper.

"This isn't your call, Ben. He is my brother. This is my house. He can visit us, and he can stay however long he wants." Leia and Ben stare each other down.

The atmosphere has gone hot, electric. Rey can see Ben's cheek twitch, his fists tightening. Abruptly, he stands up, this time really knocking his stool over. Leia does not back down. For a second, Rey is convinced Ben is about to hit his mother, when his arm flies and he sends his dessert plate crashing against the kitchen door, bits of peach and yogurt dripping to the floor. He storms out, and shortly after, a door slams upstairs.

Han Solo gives his wife a significant look, which must say something along the lines of "nice one, sweetheart".

"...I should probably go."

"Yes, you'll probably have had enough of this crazy show for one night." Says Han Solo. "Excuse my son, he...has very poor people skills." He glares at Leia. "Wonder who he gets that from."

Rey returns to her cottage feeling extremely annoyed at Ben Solo. He's actually managed to spoil her night. That's it, she's decided, she does hate him. In the past, an outcast herself, Rey had been tempted to think of Ben as misunderstood. She had even been ready to forgive him for hitting her friends; after all, Poe did provoke him, and Finn did jump in. He has helped her with Plutt, that she couldn't forget. However, tonight, he's humiliated her in front of her heroes and twisted the knife deep into her abandonment issues, making her feel ridiculous, pathetic and unwanted.

She takes off her trainers, her clothes, gets in the shower.

She's jealous of him. How dare he? Rey would give anything in the world to have Han and Leia as parents - or to have parents at all, for that matter. Her parents apparently did not even forgive her for being born, so nevermind stabbing one of them and causing mayhem around town. And how dare he waste food?!

She exits the shower and trips over her backpack. Huffing, she picks it up and angrily tries shoving into the wardrobe in the bedroom, only to find a carton box at the bottom. Her curiosity hooked, Rey pulls out the box and opens it.

There's a couple of tops, a black t-shirt, a grey hoodie and a white, long sleeves top. There are also a couple of travel books, a few trinkets that look like they've been imported from various parts of the world, and a thick, well used notebook. Rey takes it. It is a large thing, with doodles all over the front. She opens it to find 'Ben Solo' written in an elegant handwriting on the inside of the front cover. Rey raises an eyebrow. A quick flick through the notebook tells her it is filled with book reviews, drawings, and what looks like amateur poetry. Oh my.

"Your smile is the ray of sunshine to pierce through the darkest night

Too long have I been in the shadows

Too long has the demon spoken to me

Lost in snow

One look from you and I shall grow

One touch from you and I shall burn

Like spring after winter you bring me to life "

Oh my word. It's romance poetry. She flicks to another random page.

"The shape of your eyes traces the outline of my heart"

Rey lets out an incredulous laugh. Another page, another love poem.

"My love is like the dawn

Darkness meets Light in an ocean of grey

The perfect balance of the universe "

Rey shakes her head in disbelief. Who could have possibly known? She's tempted to keep on reading, and find out who has inspired Ben Solo's teenage angst, but it feels wrong. This is highly private, and reading it without Ben's consent feels like a violation. She closes the notebook, and after a short hesitation, hides it under her mattress. She won't tell Finn about this - despite Ben's cruel words about her parents, this would be going too far. She's better than this. She wants to be.

Rey gets in bed with one of her magazines, and falls asleep reading an article about a young Luke Skywalker. How could anyone hate someone so great?

The next morning, Rey wakes up just after dawn. It takes her a moment to remember where she is, and, when she remembers where she isn't, she smiles. Nevermind Ben's mood swings. This is way better than being back at Jakku, with Unkar Plutt. Rey rubs her eyes, puts on the grey hoodie she found the night before and makes herself a cup of tea. Taking her cuppa outside, Rey breathes in the fresh morning air and enjoys the lingering coolness of the dew on her face. Steam floats from her cup,softly so. She closes her eyes. When she opens them again, she finds none other than Ben Solo, standing nearby. Startled, she just stares at him. He looks like he hasn't had any sleep. His dark eyes are wide and so full of emotion that Rey once again finds it hard to look away.

"I was having a run," he says too quickly.

"Oh." She looks him and up. He's not wearing running clothes. "Well, don't let me stop you." She makes to get back inside.

"Rey."

It's the first time she hears him say her name, and that in itself is enough to make her stay. She's not sure how she feels about it. Hearing him call her name feels...intimate. Which is stupid, people say her name all the time.

"I..." He looks like he's trying really hard to get something out, but fails miserably. He throws a frustrated look around.

"Why do you hate your uncle?"

"I- it's not-that's-" suddenly, his eyes narrow in on her. "That's my hoodie."

"Oh. Erm, yeah. Is it? I found it in a box of stuff."

He looks at her with that same intense look in his eyes, and she wonders if he looks at everyone like that, or if he saves it just for her.

"You can have it back." She sets her mug on the windowsill and takes off the hoodie, throwing it at him. He catches it automatically, never once breaking eye contact, then his eyes leave her face and travel up and down her body. Rey suddenly realises that she is now only wearing a white cotton top and no bra, over light grey, cotton leggings.

"Here's your box of stuff," she says rudely, going to retrieve the carton and shoving it roughly into his arms. She takes a few steps back, reestablishing a safe distance between them. It's chilly, without the hoodie, but her skin is burning hot.

"Here," Ben hands her the hoodie back, adverting his eyes. "Keep it, I don't use it anymore."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Keep it," he insists, looking everywhere but at her, "you're cold."

Now blushing furiously, Rey grabs the hoodie and shoves it on, then crosses her arms. She feels like telling him his poetry doesn't rhyme.

"So, why do you hate your uncle Luke?"

Her tone is acid, and his eyes dart back to her face.

"You have that same look on your face," he says, dodging the question. "From the cafe. When you called me a monster."

"Maybe you are a monster," she snaps.

He takes a step forward.

"You're right. I am a monster."

Despite his words, there is nothing threatening in his voice, or his body language. If anything, he looks...miserable. Defeated. Rey tries really hard to stay angry, but she's not one to hit a wounded man.

"No, you're not. But you do sometimes do and say monstrous things."

She picks up her cup of tea and sips it, the perfect excuse to look away from him. He stays there. The Englishwoman in her wonders if she should know offer him a drink.

"So," he says. "Do you...work all week?"

Is he trying to do small talk?

"I have weekends off," she replies. "I usually meet up with Finn. You remember Finn?"

Yeah, she thinks, bitterly, you remember Finn? You beat him up. His eye was swollen for weeks.

"Yes."

"We usually go to the cafe, then on a run or something. He's training to be a firefighter."

"I see."

She's finished her cup, now, but he's not looking like he's going anytime soon. Rey wants to get dressed. She panics.

"You could join us, if you want."

He raises an eyebrow at her.

"If you want. Whatever. I'm going in now, I need to get dressed, I've got to...uh, mow the lawns. Bye."

"Finn! Oh my god, Finn, I've got SO MUCH to tell you!"

The following Saturday, Rey runs towards Finn, just outside the cafe. It is late morning and the streets of D'Qar are busy, full of young people eager to enjoy the sunshine, and the chance to wear light and bright colours.

"You'll never gu-"

Rey stops abruptly, realising Finn is not alone.

"Hi, Rey," he says, sheepish. "This is Rose. She was the year above us at school. She's training to be a firefighter too."

Rey vaguely remembers seeing Rose around school. Rose Tico. She is a short, Asian girl, who used to stir clear of the popular kids, devoting herself to lacrosse, which she excelled at. She'd been captain. A capable, no nonsense girl.

"Hi," Rey says, feeling a bit dejected at the presence of an outsider.

The threesome sit at a table outside, all drinks paid for by Rey - one of the perks of having a salary: she was now the one to treat Finn on a Saturday.

"Oh my god, Rey, finally!" Exclaims Finn, throwing his arms up at the sky. "I've been telling her to move out of that place for ages!" He tells Rose. "That Unkar Plutt was a total asshole to her, if it had been me I would have been out of there as soon as it was legal to."

Rey shrugs. She doesn't really want to discuss her home life around someone she doesn't know, and Rose's presence has undeniably dimmed the excitement she'd felt all week at the prospect of telling Finn all about Leia, and Han, Chewbacca, the cottage, and Ben Solo. However, she's got to admit, there isn't a hint of morbid curiosity in Rose's eyes. If anything, her attention seems more born out of civility towards Finn than real interest in Rey's life, which is nice, Finn deserves to be cared for. Still, she'd not planned on sharing him with anyone, not so soon.

"So, how's it been then, living with Ben Solo? Obviously he hasn't murdered you yet."

"It's been... Alright, I guess. I mean, he's not very pleasant, he's got an extremely short temper, and he says the meanest things for no reason, but he did help me move out of the scrapyard." He gave me his hoodie, she nearly adds. He's been a total gentleman, insulting my parents whilst preserving my virtue. "I... Sort of invited him to join us, today."

"What?!"

Even Rose looks alarmed at that.

"Why would you do that?" Finn looks genuinely offended.

"Don't worry," says Rey. "He probably won't come. He's probably banned from here, anyway..."

"Oh my god," Finn is staring behind Rey.

And when she turns, sure enough, there he is. In the midst of the crowd, looking completely out of his element, people carefully avoiding to bump into him, his eye boring into hers, Ben Solo himself.

"Crap."


	4. Chapter 4 : Luke

**In which Rey meets another one of her heroes, and Ben gets too close for comfort.**

 **Thank you for the lovely reviews, they make my days :) hope you enjoy!**

It's a very awkward Saturday, because when Ben first arrives and claims the chair next to Rey's, no one dares talk about anything. Finn and him exchange a curt nod.

"So," Rey says, that is the only word spoken for a full five minutes. "You know Finn." Rey caves in. "And this is Rose."

"We've met," says Rose. "My uncle is that sports coach you punched a few years ago."

"Right."

Then, when Rey goes to get Ben a coffee, one of the waiters comes to tell her that Ben is banned, and they would very much appreciate it if she told him to leave. She doesn't bother asking why they don't go over and tell him themselves.

The rest of the afternoon goes just as stiffly, coffee now cancelled and replaced with an aimless wander around the park. Rey focuses her attention on Rose, asking question after question and trying hard to spark a conversation. Finn just glares at Ben, who just looks constipated.

When Finn proposes to go on a jog, Rey thinks that surely this means the other two are going to leave, but Rose immediately accepts and Ben nods too. He's even wearing his running shoes, like he's planned on joining all along.

Without needing to explicitly agree on the plan, Finn and Rey start a very long run, hoping to tire Ben into going home. This however completely backfires when Rose tires out first and Finn feels obligated to remain behind with her, thus leaving Rey in charge of outrunning Ben. Unfortunately, she's underestimated his physical abilities, and eventually she is the one to slow down and end up hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath, whilst he towers over her, having barely broken a sweat. By then, Rey is just struggling not to show how cross she is. She's pretty sure Rose pretended to be tired just so she could escape this circus show of an afternoon.

"Right, well, I guess I'll see you at home," she says.

"I'll walk with you."

"Of course you will," mutters Rey.

He's even slowing his pace to match hers, she can tell. She says nothing to him all the way home.

Luke Skywalker arrives on a Tuesday night. Rey is in Alderaan House when he arrives, in the kitchen, prepping then stewing rhubarb stalks. Ben is sitting at the table, reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Why he's got to be reading in the kitchen of all places, she's got no idea, but his presence irks her and she finds that her shoulders remain tense, despite the warms rays of sunshine filtering through the windows. It's late afternoon.

She hears the tell-tale crunching of gravel as Luke's car comes up the drive.

"He's here!" Yells Leia from her study. Rey hears her run to the dining room window. "He's here! Oh my god, he looks ancient! ... Oh my god, he's with a woman!"

Han appears briefly in the kitchen, startled to see Rey there. He recovers quickly and asks Ben:

"You ok, son?"

Ben nods imperceptibly then stands.

"Should I go, or...?"

"No," say both Ben and Han Solo. "Stay," adds Ben.

"We need some youngsters in this house," says Han, before gesturing for them to follow him.

In the hall, Leia is gushing over her brother.

"Luke!" She laughs, hugging him like there's no tomorrow. "What is that on your face?"

Luke Skywalker scratches his beard. "You don't like it?"

"It ages you!"

"You've changed too, I'll have you know!"

"It's the hair, isn't it? I changed my hair, it makes me look younger."

Han Solo and Luke exchange a hug, clapping each other's backs loudly. Rey has followed into the room with Ben following close. She takes in the sight of yet another one of her heroes, and searches for Luke Skywalker's wide blue eyes, full of hope and ideals, on this older man's tired face.

"This is Rey," introduces Leia. "She does the gardens, and, well, we like her so much we've forced her to move into the cottage."

"Rey," says Luke, raising a finger a her. "Are you the Rey who crashed the Falcon?"

"And fixed it," babbles Rey, "I did fix it, too. I also washed it for years."

"It was the least she could do after stealing it from me, and crashing it into a ditch." Jokes Han Solo.

"I did not steal it! I had no idea it was yours," Rey pretends to argue.

Luke chuckles at their good hearted banter, then notices the tall, scarred man standing behind Rey.

"Oh, and, surprise!" Says Leia. "Our Ben has come home."

There is an obvious warmth to her voice as she says this, and Luke smiles, though his eyes remain wary. A tense silence befalls the hall for a moment, until Luke breaks it by stepping to the side, revealing the woman Leia had caught a glimpse of earlier.

"Well, I have a surprise of my own," he says. "This is Mara, Mara Jade. My fiancée."

The woman has white creamy skin, red hair and green eyes. She has a voluptuous figure, and exudes confidence.

"Hello," she says, "I'm Mara. It's nice to finally meet you all."

Damn, thinks Rey. Even her voice is hot.

"Oh Luke," says Leia at dinner. "You could have given me a warning! If I'd known Mara was coming... Hell, if I'd known there even was a Mara...!"

"That would have ruined the surprise," replies Luke. Rey has noticed that Ben and him are carefully avoiding to look at each other. She briefly wonders if they made her sit next to Ben, with Chewbacca opposite, so they could act as human shields should he have one of his outbursts.

"Well?" Presses Leia. "How did you two meet?"

Luke and Mara smile at each other and gesture for the other to talk.

"I was a lawyer," says Mara. "I worked for a man called Palpatine. I represented Empire, his company."

"Yeah, I've heard about them," says Leia, suddenly much less cheerful.

Rey remembers from her magazines that Empire was one of the many companies Leia used to fight against in her youth. It was a weapons selling company known for providing arms and ammunition to various factions around the world, thus contributing to the deaths of thousands of civilians. Mara gives a dry smile.

"Yes, I thought you might. I met Luke in the forests of Naboo. I was charged with intimidating him into leaving Empire alone. And...how should I put it? Let's just say he showed me the errors of my ways." She raised her glass to her lips. "Haven't looked back since!"

Rey lets out a breath. How romantic! The corporate lawyer and the philanthropist... Almost as romantic as the activist and the smuggler.

"Do you remember Lando, Han?" Luke asks Mr Solo.

"Do I remember Lando?" Scoffs Han Solo. "I was his friend before you were, kid."

"Well, turns out Lando already knew Mara. Before becoming a corporate lawyer, she'd represented him on a few occasions!"

"He always had a bit of a thing for me," says Mara, rolling her eyes towards Rey, who smiles, pretending to know what that feels like, flattered that Mara would think that Rey would relate to that.

"Eventually I worked up the nerve to ask her to marry me," says Luke. "And here we are!"

"And here you are!" Says Leia. "Full of surprises! Have you decided on a date yet?"

"We have, and it's Saturday As Soon As Possible," says Luke.

"Neither of us sees the point in waiting," says Mara. "So, as soon as we find the right place, we're good to go!" She turns to Rey. "But enough about us. How long have you two been together?" She asks, wriggling her finger at Rey and Ben.

"Oh! We're not," says Rey. "I work here."

"Oh," says Mara, surprised, though something tells Rey this is more of an act. "Yes, of course, Leia mentioned it. My bad, I thought, with you being here, and the looks..."

Rey is speechless. The looks? What looks? Mara raises an eyebrow at her.

"No, I work here. I just have a tendency to crash the family dinners."

"We love Rey," says Leia.

"My bad," repeats Mara, raising her hands in apology. "Are you British, Rey?"

"Yes I am."

"It's the accent," says Mara, tapping her nose with her finger. She leans in, winks at Rey. "I bet the boys love it. You'll be driving them crazy, with that accent and that smile." To everyone's great horror, she winks at Ben too. "Ben knows what I'm on about."

"Ok," says Luke. "Embarrassing the youngsters, tick. Antagonising my nephew, tick."

"I'm not embarrassing them, Luke, and I'm sure Rey will tell me if I'm annoying her. She seems like someone who can take care of herself."

Rey is both flattered at the flood of compliments coming out of Mara's mouth and irritated at being put on the spot so much.

"Oh, she can," says Han Solo. "She grew up on a scrapyard surrounded by tough guys. She's got a baseball bat and she knows how to use it."

"By playing baseball, that is?" Teases Luke without humour.

Chewbacca says something in Norwegian, and all Rey catches is "fuck boys." At first, she thinks she's misheard, but then Mr Solo translates for his friend.

"Chewie says she uses it to crush fuck boys." Declares Han, startling everyone. "Is that what girls call them now, Rey? Fuck boys?"

"I don't know."

"How many drinks have you had, Han? Chewie, I won't ask."

"So you can fight, huh?" Asks Luke.

"A bit." Says Rey. "But it's all self taught, really. I lack technique."

She remembers Ben's words, as he held her against the wall, all those years ago. "You need technique". She remembers her magazines.

"You are a Krav Maga expert, aren't you?" She asks Luke. "Any chance you could teach me a few moves?"

She'd expected a polite refusal, or a chuckle, or even a yes, perhaps, but Luke Skywalker shakes his head vehemently, setting his glass down on the table, all signs of mirth having abruptly deserted him.

"No." He says. "No, no, no. I don't teach that stuff anymore."

"...why not?"

"Let's just say the last person I taught ended up using what I taught him to purposefully hurt others."

"What else is a martial art for?" Asks Ben. His deep voice humming next to her sends a shiver down Rey's back, and she hopes Mara Jade hasn't noticed.

"Exercise. Discipline." Luke says.

"That's exactly what Rey is after," intervenes Leia. "Plus, Luke, in this day and age, don't you think all women should know how to defend themselves?"

"I don't teach it anymore. I'll teach you medidation, though, if you like. And yoga. Same results, in terms of exercise and discipline."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you." Rey hopes no one can hear how disappointed she is.

"I'll teach you," says Ben. "If you like."

Finding no good enough reason to refuse in public, especially after she's literally just asked Luke to teach her, Rey accepts.

At the end of dinner, determined to be helpful, and eager to escape for a little while, Rey picks up a few plates and insists on taking them to the kitchen. She rinses them, then starts piling them in the dishwasher. She almost feels Ben arrive before she hears him speak.

"You don't have to try and impress him, you know," he says. "Or any of them. Especially not her."

"I don't even know what you're talking about," Rey replies.

She keeps looking at her plates, wanting to hide the blush she feels creeping along her cheeks and over her nose. She knows she's been rambling about her mechanical abilities, from entree to dessert.

"Right," says Ben, and she can hear the smirk in his voice.

It's all quiet, and Rey starts getting hopeful. Maybe he's gone back to the dining room?

"Do you wish he was your uncle?"

Damn.

"Pardon?" She faces him.

"Luke. Do you wish he was your uncle?"

Rey just frowns at him, confused at the question.

"I remember when you used to come wash my father's car. Did you wish he was your dad? And now, do you wish Luke was your uncle?"

Rey just shakes her head slightly, too shocked to respond.

"Because you shouldn't." He continues, tone harsh. "He would have disappointed you. They all would have."

"Ok," Rey says, before she can stop herself. "Well, forgive me for that. We're not all blessed with the luxury of being arseholes to our family." As soon as the words leave her mouth, she regrets them, but apologising is out of the question.

He blinks. They stare each other down for a moment, until the dining room erupts in cheers, and Leia comes running in.

"Guess what?"

Neither Rey nor Ben make a guess.

"Han just had the best idea. Luke and Mara are gonna get married here!"

"Here?" Repeats Ben, confused. "Here, where?"

"Here, at Alderaan House! In the gardens! Isn't that a good idea? We've got the space!"

"Is that even legal?" Ben, ever the buzzkill.

"Well we'll figure it out, but we can have the party here, no curfew!"

"Sounds great!" Rey says, jumping on the chance to move on from her conversation with Ben. "When?"

"This summer. Rey, you're invited, of course. And please bring friends. At least 10, otherwise this will look like a pensioners' do." She grabs her son's arm. "Come on, you two, we're having champagne!"

Rey's got to admit, she had vaguely hoped that Ben would either forget that he'd offered to train her, or that he'd realise he just couldn't be bothered to go through with it.

Unfortunately, neither happen, and Ben shows up the very next day with a schedule, an actual schedule, of Krav Maga training sessions. They are to train every two days: start the morning with a jog, then train for at least an hour.

Good job I wake up early, thinks Rey. Great.

A few days go on like this, waking early, joining Ben for a silent run, then spending a good hour sparring. He starts by checking she knows the basic stuff: how to form a fist, how to place your feet, how to fall. Then, he teaches her a few moves, and makes her practise them until they become second nature. If she's started the lessons somewhat reluctantly, she now gives herself fully to it, eager to learn. Rey is not one to remain angry long, and she craves knowledge.

"You learn very fast," he comments one day, and she knows it shouldn't affect her this much.

In the meantime, Luke does do a little bit of medidation with her, and yoga, but Rey is disappointed to realise that he is a rather distracted teacher. Where Ben is focused, patient and consistent, Luke is distant, preoccupied and lax. Not that she'd ever want to admit this to Ben, not even when she cancels a session with him at the last minute because Luke had offered to train her that morning, only to come back to him after Luke cancels on her. As if he'd known what was going to happen, Ben had not even changed out of his sports clothes.

After a couple of weeks, Ben moves on to actual hand to hand combat. They start by practising dodging punches and hitting sensitive areas, then go for a couple of 'real life' situations, where someone grabs you from behind, or tries to push you against a wall. It's exciting, and new, and interesting, and challenging, and...overwhelming. Rey finds herself spending an alarming amount of time pressed against Ben, or holding his arm or fist, getting herself out of increasingly close situations.

"You've got to put this foot on my hip," he says, "twist your hips, yep, like that, then... Nope, see, this way first, then..."

Today, he's got her on her back, on the grass, with him kneeling between her legs, and he's teaching her how to strangle him with her thighs.

"From here, you're powerless. I can take whatever I want. Phone, wallet,..." His eyes trail down to her neck and her chest, then snap back up, as if he'd not meant to let them do that.

Rey feels the air get knocked out of her lungs. Everywhere their bodies touch is burning. His eyes are boring into hers. What would he want to take? His breath is coming out in short puffs, it tickles her face. She knows her chest is heaving. His hands are holding her wrists down, it's part of the scenario. She's got no idea what's happening to her, why she's suddenly really affected by this. Her legs are tingling. A part of her really wants to know what he'd take, and suddenly she is terrified. This hot fog in her brain, is that...? Does this mean she...?

"Don't be scared," he murmurs, voice gentle, soothing... coaxing. "I feel it, too."

Rey remembers her training and snaps back to reality. In a few moves and turns, she's got her thighs around his neck and squeezes until he goes red and taps her leg. She lets go and he falls back, holding his throat and catching his breath.

"Good," he says in a raspy voice. "Well done. Now if we-"

"That's enough for today."

She stands up, looks away from him. She knows she's blushing. Her heart is still beating furiously in her chest, and her body still feels hot everywhere it came into contact with his.

"I'll see you Monday then, yeah? I'm out on Saturday. Gotta find an outfit for the wedding."

"Rey-"

"I'll see you Monday. Thank you."

She all but runs away. He doesn't come after her.

She's relieved.

She's disappointed.


	5. Chapter 5 : Blush Pink and Baby's Breath

**In which... a lot happens. This chapter is way too long and I apologise.**

 **Thanks ever so much for reading this story, and thanks especially for the lovely reviews, they mean the world :) hope you enjoy! Lots of revelations to come in the chapter after this one.**

Three weeks following their wedding announcement, Luke and Mara have a date down. It will be mid summer, with a quiet ceremony at a local chapel, and the reception at Alderaan House. Rey is a little stunned to find out she is counted as one of the few who will be present at the actual ceremony. She literally just met the bride and groom.

The wedding is now two months away, and Rey still needs to find "at least 10" friends to invite. Her friends include Finn, and... Can she count Poe? And Rose? That's a whole 3 people, and she's already cheated on the definition of friends. Luckily enough, Finn, Poe and Rose are available that day and have accepted to come. She just needs 7 more people. Poe said he'd try and help.

Following her last training session with Ben, Rey intends on avoiding him as much as she can until the following Monday. Saturday should be easy, as she will be out shopping for an outfit and Ben cannot possibly invite himself to that. Until then, Rey is planning on hiding, throwing herself in her work, thriving to make the gardens look their best for the upcoming wedding. Luke, Leia and Mara unwittingly help her escape Ben by giving her a pile of wedding invitations to take around town. Han digs out Ben's old bike for her, and Rey reluctantly accepts it. Ben's words, that he knew she wishes Han was her dad, combined with now being offered what was obviously a father to son gift, nearly force her to turn down the bike. Sensing her hesitation, Mara points out that taking invitations around by foot would take forever, and suggests Rey borrows the Falcon. Han visibly pales at that, and so Rey goes for the bike.

This is how, on Friday, Rey distributes invitations around town, and spends a good half hour at the post office sending off the bulk of it to all sorts of exotic places.

"You sure got friends, darlin'," says the woman at the post office. "And congratulations, you'll make a lovely bride."

Rey is too stunned, and flattered, to correct her.

On the way home, Rey feels her phone, an ancient Nokia, vibrate, so she stops and picks it up. It's Leia.

"Rey, honey, are you still in town?"

"I am, why?"

"Are you far from the flower shop? Mara would like to know if you could just drop in and ask if they got her email. She wants white roses, blush pink roses -whatever that colour is - and baby's breath, which apparently is a plant. Would you be able to see them?"

"Yes of course, no problem."

"Hope it's not too much trouble," says Leia, then : "oh hold on a second," someone speaks in the background, then Leia comes back, with a heavy sigh : "also, when you pick your dress tomorrow she would very much like it if you chose something blush pink, but she says not to worry if there's nothing you like in that colour."

"Alright, no worries. See you soon."

Rey turns around and gets to the flower shop.

All the employees are busy, and she has to wait a good 20 minutes before someone can see to her. Finally, it's the owner's daughter, 17 year old Tallissan, who arrives.

"Hello, sorry about the wait."

Tallissan Lintra is a very pretty blond girl with a soft voice, and a sort of grace about her that makes Rey feel like an oaf.

"Hi," smiles Rey. "Tallissan, isn't it?"

"Tallie, please," the girl replies. "When is your wedding?"

"Oh it's not my wedding, I'm just here for... For a friend."

"Oh right, I thought maybe it was your mum who left us that email."

"I don't have a mum."

"Oh!" Tallie looks genuinely mortified. "Of course! Sorry, I forgot!"

"It's fine," Rey says, and it really is fine. Tallie seems very sweet. "She's called Mara, it's her wedding. She's marrying my boss's brother."

"Oh right, are you like a PA?"

Rey is slightly startled at the question. Is she a PA?

"More of a gardener. So, she said blush pink roses, white roses, and some baby's breath?"

"Baby's breath, oh, it's lovely. I'd have that in my bouquet, if I ever got married. Good choice."

Rey and Tallie finalise the order, and have a little chat about high school - Rey finding out which if her teachers are still there, and which have finally retired. Evening arrives. Before taking her leave, Rey, out of pure impulse of the moment, gives an invitation to Tallie. That's another friend. The girl looks really pleased, and immediately accepts. Then Rey tells her that she meets her friends every Saturday and that tomorrow they are skipping coffee and going to try on outfits, if she'd like to join. Tallie says she'd love to, and that she'll ask her parents.

Rey leaves feeling both very pleased with herself for finding another friend to invite to the wedding, and very anxious at the idea of trying on blush pink dresses in front of yet another person. Hopefully, everyone will be absorbed in choosing their own outfit, and no one will look at her.

As she rides along the darkened streets, Rey's thoughts return to Tallie's words - is she, in effect, Mara Jade's PA? Have they invited her to the wedding so she could be everyone's help, or do they actually want her there? Is that why they insisted she move there in the first place - so that she can become a live-in butler? She knew she was the gardener, but...

At the intersection, Rey looks right, and she doesn't see the car coming from the left.

All the downstairs windows of Alderaan House are lit up, and the shadow of Leia Organa is standing behind the curtain of the dining room. The curtain is drawn slitghly, Rey can see that now, as she walks up the drive, most of the bike resting on her right shoulder, and the front wheel carried by her left hand. Rey can feel a huge, purple bruise forming on her leg, and the scratches on her arms sting bitterly in the cool air of the night. Thank heavens she had her helmet on.

When she comes into view, the door opens and a tall, dark silhouette comes running out.

Ben stops a few steps away from her, and the lights behind him prevent Rey from seeing his face. Leia and Han follow closely behind.

"Rey!" Shrieks Leia.

Rey raises her hands and knocks herself on the chin with the broken wheel.

"Ow! I'm so sorry, I broke the bike!"

They make her come into the house and sit her on a kitchen stool. They get her to take her sweater off, stripping down to her tank top. Leia inspects the cuts and bruises on Rey, whilst Ben towers over from behind his mother. Luke and Mara stand opposite, Mara having already apologised profusely for making Rey go to the flower shop.

"This car came from my left at the main intersection, and I didn't see it. It was completely my fault."

Leia leaves and starts rummaging through the top cupboards. Ben steps closer and takes a seat, scowling at Rey's injuries like they've personally offended him.

Leia returns with a first aid kit which Ben takes from her and starts picking out of. When Rey throws Leia a slightly alarmed look, the older woman replies:

"Ben received first aid training when he was in the special forces."

Rey feels like saying that a couple of scratches isn't quite worthy of special forces medical training, but then Ben starts putting his hands on her and her mind goes blank. He cleans the cuts then applies antiseptic before wrapping them in gauze. His actions are gentle and confident - meanwhile, the whole room watches on. Once he's done with her arms, she sees him eyeing up her torn jeans, and Rey begins to worry they're all going to see how flustered she is getting, so she babbles on:

"Well, the invitations are gone, anyway, and I've only got a couple left to give my friends tomorrow. Flowers are ordered, and I invited the flower shop girl, Tallie, she's really lovely. She's coming with me and my friends tomorrow to look for an outfit - blush pink, did you say? So is that for me only or should all girls dress in pink?"

"Just for you, Rey, lovely." Says Mara, and Rey is certain she can see a knowing smile on her perfect lips. She's looking at Rey like they're sharing a secret. "You'll be my special girl, I'd like you and Leia to match my bouquet. But don't worry if you can't find anything you like, I can always just change my flowers." Mara's eyes narrow in on a sudden thought. "Hmm. Guess I haven't thought that through, does it mean I ought to ask all the other women not to wear blush pink?"

She looks at Luke and Han who nod thoughtfully, pretending to have a clue.

"My dress arrived up this morning," Mara tells Rey. "Leia has had a look. There's just one little bit that needs fixing up, size wise, but it's perfect."

"I could take it to the seamstress," offers Rey automatically.

"Absolutely not."

Rey gives Ben a startled look. He's very close, his big brown eyes, similar to Leia's, staring right back.

"But I..."

"No."

"Let her speak, Ben."

As soon as Luke speaks, Rey feels the very rage pulsing off of Ben.

"Shut up," he growls at his uncle. "This is your fault."

"...my fault?"

"If you hadn't sent her to do all of your errands, she wouldn't have got into an accident. It's your wedding, you sort the goddamn flowers. She's not your fucking PA."

"Now hold on a second-" Luke raises a calming hand at Ben, who jumps up.

"She's not yours!" He yells, which is an odd phrasing, but then again it's anger that's taken over and everyone is starting to look rather worried. "Don't you just show up here and start bossing her around!"

"That is not fair!" Argues Luke, his own voice rising to meet his nephew's. "Rey is-"

Ben abruptly lunges forward, knocking a coupe of stools over, and makes to grab Luke's throat. Han and Leia start shouting at him to stop, and Mara puts a hand over a mouth, a horrified expression on her pretty face.

When he stands in his path, Ben pushes Han to the side and sends him tumbling against the oven. Fearing that Leia will be next, Rey acts purely on instinct: she jumps forward and puts herself inbetween Luke and Ben, arms spread out. Ben stops, about an inch away from barging into her.

"What are you doing?" He growls through gritted teeth. "Move."

"No. You need to calm down. Go for a walk."

"MOVE!" He screams at the top of his lungs. His face is very close to hers now.

"No."

They stare each other down. He takes one more step forward and for a second Rey is convinced that Ben is going to throw her away like he did with Han. Then, to her surprise, he steps back and stalks out of the room through the back door and disappears into the night.

Rey is annoyed. She's annoyed with that idiot who appeared out of nowhere and knocked her off her bike, she's annoyed with Ben for losing his temper and terrorising everyone, and she's annoyed with herself for looking for him in the garden at night, at stupid o'clock, when all she wants to do is tuck herself into bed. After her third time around Alderaan grounds, Rey gives up, and returns to her cottage, scowling at her feet. She doesn't notice Ben standing by her door until she is a couple of feet away.

"Oh!" She jumps. "You're there!"

He looks somewhat sheepish, hands in his pockets, scratching the floor with his foot. Tucked under his arm is the first aid kit.

"So you've calmed down then? That's good." Says Rey, more aggressively than she'd intended.

"...yes. I followed your advice and went for a walk."

"Yes, I saw that. I saw what you did to my azalea." She mimicked her throat being slit, her hand as the knife.

"Sorry."

"What did you use?"

"...an axe."

"Wow. An axe on a bush. Talk about an overreaction!"

He lets out a sigh, raising his eyes up to the sky.

"You really could have hurt your father, you know."

He says nothing, but suddenly looks extremely tired and almost...sad.

"Is that for me?" Rey points at the first aid kit.

"We haven't done those cuts on your leg yet."

"I'll do them myself."

"It won't take long."

"Forget it," Rey says, smiling. "You're not getting in my pants tonight."

She's teasing him, trying in spite of herself to lift his spirits. His eyes widen for a nanosecond, but then he is quick to tease her right back.

"'Tonight'?"

"Or ever."

"We'll see."

"Don't get cocky."

He just smirks, and looks at her with something close to fondness in his eyes.

Rey is feeling...she doesn't know how she's feeling. This quick, humorous exchange between them had felt easy and surprisingly comfortable. They'd been teasing each other. Some might even call it flirting.

The weight of the situation takes form, and she sees it: a man and a woman, alone, at night, flirting, right outside the woman's bedroom. Rey's mind lets out all sorts of sirens and she aborts the whole thing.

"I'll manage," she takes the kit from under his arm. "I might need your help tomorrow morning with my arm."

"Sure."

"Good night."

She retracts to the safety of her cottage, hearing him whisper 'good night' as she closes the door.

The next morning, Ben changes the bandage on her arm, and she lets him. They don't speak at all, but at some point they do exchange a smile. When she leaves Alderaan House, Rey tells Ben she'll see him the next morning for their training session.

"Blush pink, don't forget," he says to her.

"Yep." She puts her trainers on. He's watching her. "Blush pink. You should get a suit in blush pink."

"It's totally my colour."

Rey pauses. Oh my, he is... Is he joking? One look at the small smile on his face confirms it, and Rey turns away, hiding her own smile, repressing the urge to laugh.

She's still smiling when she gets to town. In the distance, outside the mall, she sees Finn and Rose. Tallie is there, too. And Poe. And... Looks like Poe has brought a couple of girls. Rey's smile falls. She braces herself.

"What happened to your face?" Finn immediately asks.

"I just fell over on a bike," Rey tries to whisper so the others won't hear, but they're all leaning in. "A car hit me. I'm fine." She silences Finn's exclamation of outrage with a raises hand. "So! Here are your invites... Finn, Tallie, Rose, Poe..." Rey freezes. She doesn't remember the names of the two girls.

"Kaydel and Jessika," introduces Poe.

Kaydel has big brown eyes, and blond hair gathered into two buns. Rey remembers her as a bit of a nerd in high school, captain of the chess club, and editor of the school newspaper. Jessika was a tall, gorgeous Asian girl with an athletic figure and perfect skin. At school, Jessika used to be one of the cheerleaders, as well as champion swimmer, top of her class and considered one of the most popular girls. Kaydel had been the type of kid to remind the teacher there was homework, and Jessika had been the 'effortlessly cool' type that everyone, including teachers, admired.

"I invited Jessika for you, like you asked me to," he gave her a 'please just go with it' look, "and Kaydel loves weddings, so she offered to come when I said you might have some spare invites."

Right.

Rey gives Jessika her invite, wondering how on earth the girl believed Poe's story. They've never once spoken to each other. Kaydel grabs her own invite then returns her attention to Poe.

"Is there a dress code?" Rose asks.

"Blush pink for me, suits for the boys, then not really, no."

"We're going for a coffee after this, right?" Kaydel asks Rey whilst looking at Poe.

"Sounds good," says Poe, looking at Jessika, who's introducing herself to Tallie.

Rey takes a deep breath.

As it turns out, finding an outfit is even worse than she'd imagined. Rey has never shopped for clothes - all of her things are donations. She's never worn pink, let alone a dress. She's not even sure what her size is. She hates this. To her, everything seems too expensive, too revealing, and just too much. She absentmindedly looks through a rack of dresses on sale, when she sees Poe and Kaydel standing nearby. Kaydel keeps asking Poe's opinion about various dresses, whilst he keeps trying to escape towards the men's aisle.

Rey loses herself in the scene, taking in Poe's charming smile. He's bulked out, since he's returned from his tour around the world. He's been everywhere. He's seen so many things.

"I hate this."

Rose has appeared besides Rey.

"I hate shopping."

"Me too," says Rey.

"The only time I ever wear a dress if for New Year's Eve, and only because my mum makes me."

"I've never worn a dress," confesses Rey. "At least yours doesn't have to be pink."

Rose snorts. "Yeah."

She follows Rey's gaze towards the other two, and whispers: "Kaydel was in my class at school. She's always been crazy about Poe Dameron, but he's been too cool for her, you see? She's never dared approach him. Now she's all grown up."

Rey looks at Kaydel, following Poe around. Suddenly it clicks.

"Is that why she's so keen on coming to the wedding?"

"Yep. But, it's not going to get her anywhere. Poe likes Jessika." She nods towards said Jessika, standing a bit further along. "And Jessika likes girls."

Rey raises an eyebrow. Jessika is currently speaking to Tallie, complimenting her choice of outfits to try on, offering advice.

"It's like that TV show my mum watches every night after she finished her shift at the hospital," jokes Rose. "All we need now is for Tallie to fall in love with Kaydel, and we've got ourselves three seasons sorted out."

Rey laughs, deciding that she likes Rose. Maybe it's ok if Finn and her get close to each other.

"I'll try this," Rose says, picking up a blue dress. "And that."

"God, you're quick."

"I just want it done and over with! Still need to get some shoes."

Unfortunately for Rey, things take a turn for the worse when she ends up the last one without an outfit, and Kaydel takes it upon herself to find her one - it's the only thing preventing everyone from getting coffee.

"What about this one?"

"I'd rather not show my whole back..."

"This one?"

"I'd rather not wear a long dress.."

"This one."

"It's too short for me."

"With your figure," interrupts Jessika, "you could pretty much wear any dress you like. But you've got small breasts, which is a good thing for you, it means you don't need a bra, so you can easily wear anything backless and you can show quite a bit of cleavage without it being vulgar."

"You could for a midi dress," says Tallie.

Rey has no idea what that is. She's mortified. Everyone, including Finn and Poe, are sitting outside the changing rooms and seeing every dress she tries on. To Rey's great horror, they are privy to the comment on her breasts.

"She needs sleeves," says Kaydel.

"Sleeves are uncomfortable," replies Rose.

"Her arms are muscly, she needs to cover them."

"There's nothing wrong with her arms!" Argues Finn.

"What do you like?" Questions Kaydel, exasperated.

"I don't know! I just don't want anything too- too sexy! Or too uncomfortable."

"I know," Poe says. "I got it. I'll find something for Rey. Finn, come with me, you're getting the shoes."

The girls stare in bewilderment, until Poe returns with a blush pink, midi dress on sale. It's a pleated design with a plunge at the front and the back, lace trims and no sleeves. It is sexy but not overly so, and the length is just about what Rey can manage. Finn hands her a pair of metallic nude, small and square heels with an ankle fastening strap.

Rey tries it all on, and when she shows the group they all say it's great, though she knows that by that point they would have approved anything. Still, Rey is seduced. She likes the way she looks in that dress.

"There," Tallie smiles. "With your hair down and a bit of eye makeup...perfect."

Rey cannot get out of there fast enough.

She walks home later that day with her bag of purchases in hand, her head still reeling from the embarassement of it all. Even Poe knows more about dresses than her. Is there actually something wrong with her arms?

The air is warm and the light gold, the scent of blossoms a nice distraction from the day. Rey walks a long way around to avoid the drive, going round the back and through what Leia refers to as the roses garden. Unfortunately, that is where she finds the entire household, minus Luke and Chewbacca.

"Ah!" Exclaims Leia, a glass of champagne in hand. "Success?"

"Success."

Leia and Mara cheer, hands up in the air and all, and Rey wonders how much they've already had to drink. Han and Ben look much sober. Rey wonders if they've discussed what happened the night before, or if they just carry on as normal. She feels like shaking them. Have they ever even discussed the stabbing incident? And where's Luke? Is Mara not scared of Ben, now? Actually, that's a definite no. Mara doesn't look like she'd be scared of anything, or anyone.

"Well done, kid," says Han. Rey loves it when he calls her kid. "Can't have been easy. You've earned this." He hands her a glass of champagne, and guides her into a garden chair.

Rey reluctantly sits down, setting her bag under her chair, hoping Mara will forget about it.

No such luck.

"Well?" Mara's eyes are sparkling. "Let's see?"

Rey pulls the dress out of the bag and holds it up.

"Oh, lovely! And it's got a bit of a plunge, sexy!"

"Is that alright?"

"Is it alright? It's more than alright, isn't it, Ben?" Mara laughs, and Leia suddenly starts into a fit of giggles.

Rey blushes and puts the dress away. She feels foolish.

"I didn't pick it," she says. "I couldn't decide, I've never worn a dress in my life. My friend picked it."

"She's done well." Says Mara.

"It's a he. Poe. Poe Dameron."

Instantly, the temperature rises. Leia abruptly stops laughing and raises a calming hand towards Ben.

"Poe Dameron?"

Ben's voice is hard.

"Yes. He's my friend."

"Son..." Starts Han.

"It's fine." Ben says, gripping his glass. The explosion everyone is expecting does not happen, and eventually, the conversation gets going again. Ben avoids eye contact.

"Well, whoever it is, they've certainly looked at you well." Mara says.

Later that night, Rey sits on her bed and tries her heels on. She takes a couple of steps around her cottage, thinking that maybe this ain't so bad, when a series of knocks on the door make her jump so hard she bangs her knee on the table. She hurriedly kicks off the heels and rushes to get the door.

It's Leia.

"Hi, Rey, honey," she's still tipsy. "Listen I know it's late, but can you come please? Ben's had an accident."


End file.
